Skyrim: Novis Magicae
by Veleriphon
Summary: Testing the might of her magics, her own resolve, and her body's limits, Erad the Breton stabs a claim to fame through force of will. Follow her exploits through Skrim and see what trials await this incarnation of the Dovahkin. Rated M for glorified destruction, adult situations and scenes, language, and mistaking a Breton woman for a child.
1. Helgen

Disclaimer:

Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls, and all characters other than Erad and Kendra (and maybe Gazad, but... well, you'll see) belong to Bethesda. This is for entertainment only. I make no monetary gain with this publication, nor should anyone else. This story will only be on fanfiction's site, unless otherwise authorized by me. I highly doubt I will bother with other sites. If I do, I'll update this disclaimer here on FF.

As always, opinions are appreciated.  
Thanks for reading!  
-Veleriphon

* * *

Skyrim. That's what this "Nord" claims this land is called that we're being hauled through by Imperial soldiers. My head felt like a melon that got dropped on the ground by some pup who could barely lift a dagger.

"What's your name, Breton?" the Nord said. _Damn, does he ever shut up?_

I let out a groan in response. He gave a sort of snort at that, "Hmph. That blow to your head must have done some real damage."

_Like I'd tell you, loudmouth._

He prattled on to another passenger of our open cart, just not the guy with the wrappings over his mouth, "What village are you from, horse-thief?"

Horse-thief eyed Loudmouth as we approached a small, stone-walled settlement, "Rorikstead. I'm form Rorikstead. Why do you ask?"

Loudmouth glimpsed around at all three of us in turn, "A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."

I finally say something, "We're going to a headsman?" He noded to me. I wobbled my head in the direction of the man who couldn't speak, "What about this guy? What's his story?"

Loudmouth gritted his teeth at my words, "Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!"

"Shut up back there!" The soldier driving the open wagon called out. I don't think he really cared, though.

I couldn't hear much else as we entered the town, much more than hear Loudmouth indicate that the Imperial General Tullius was here with Thalmor agents, I didn't care. _Thalmor. That name rings in my head like a bad note from this terrible Orc bard I heard once._ Finally we stopped.

"End of the line," Loudmouth said as Horse-thief and Ulfric stepped off the cart with us following suit.

Landing on the chilled, hardened ground, I was briefly blinded looking up to the sky. A two or three story tower was accented by a brief glimpse of the sun. It started to rain right after that. Hard. _Great Nine! Was that a dragon of light buried in the sunlight?! _The clouds seemed to race forward to a point where I saw the radiance of the sun again. This time, light showered down on me. It really warmed me down into my soul for a moment. I was dragged to reality with the rain pouring down, soaking me to the bone.

Looking around, there were numerous soldiers here. More than a platoon, but less than a full Imperial regiment. These people had a hounding look about them. As I focused with my mind's magical sight, I could tell there wasn't anything magic here. Nothing but where I had just seen the sun, though._  
_

"Okeer from Rorikstead," a female Redguard soldier called out. The Imperial soldier beside her held a piece of parchment. Horse-thief stepped forward and was directed to the other group of, so far, unnamed prisoners.

"Gazat from Morthal."

One of the unnamed guys started to run, "You're not gonna get me, you Imperial dogs!" He laughed maniacally as he hurried off.

The Redguard soldier called, "Archers, fire at will!"

Gazat saw his freedom, but several arrows from behind made sure he would never get there.

"Ulfric Stormcloak."

The man grunted, but calmly took his place amongst the other prisoners by the block.

"It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric," Loudmouth said reverently.

"Ralof of Riverwood."

Loudmouth, or rather Ralof, joined Ulfric's side.

Then, the Imperial soldiers got to me, "Fleeing some court intrigue, eh Breton? Who are you?"

"I lost my name long ago, soldier. Not that I can remember what I was last called, thanks to your comrade's handiwork with a mace."

He shot a questioning look to the woman soldier in her gleaming heavy armor, "She's not on the list, Captain." The commanding officer nodded in response.

The soldier procured a short rod from a pouch at his hip and waved it in my direction. That was twice now I'd felt a weird aura, but no pain from the action. He scribbled something down on his scroll before motioning me off with the others.

As I stopped, an Imperial, Tullius I think, stepped forth from behind the line of soldiers facing us. He addressed the assembled crowd, "Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne!" He paced around for a moment, stopping to face Ulfric and point a damning finger at the bound man, "You stated this war! Plunging Skyrim into chaos, provoking the Emperor's reprisal, and a response from the Thalmor. But now the Empire is going to end your rebellion and put you down!"

He joined the line of soldiers, "Captain, let's get this over with."

"Yes, General," the woman immediately responded. She pointed to Horse-thief, "Okeer from Rorikstead, to the block."

Okeer plodded forth while an Arkay cleric stated the Last Rites, "As we commend your poor souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you-"

"For the love of Talos, shut up. I haven't got all morning." Okeer's comment was funny, but I didn't tempt fate by showing that I really did believe Talos was a God to the nearby Thalmor.

The cleric gruffly folded her arms, "Very well."

Okeer's life cut short by the headsman's axe, Ralof commented aloud, "As brave in death, as he was in life. May Shor grant you a seat in his mead hall in Sovengarde."

A distant, ancient-sounding roar came from nowhere, sending some around me into a worried panic. General Tullius calmly called out, "Sentries?"

"Nothing in view, General," one of the men atop the short tower called out.

Tullius stated to the Captain, "Continue, Captain."

She nodded in agreement, "The Breton in the rags!"

I murmured to myself, "You've got to be kidding me. This can't be real."

"Come on prisoner, to the block with you." The Captain's voice was serious. I still wasn't sure how the hell I'd gotten into this mess.

I had to start for the block, like it or not. Another roar from far off, but somehow closer this time came over the town. The Captain's reaction was classic Imperial stoicism, "Sentries!?"

A shadow rapidly crossed the town, I couldn't get a look, as I was now pinned to the chopping block staring down at Okeer's head in a small collection box.

The General shouted, "Get on with it!"

I shifted my head to be more comfortable and see the headsman lifting his axe again. I gulped, _This is it, Erad. What was it all for?_

Just as the executioner was starting his swing to separate my neck from my shoulders, a _Thud! _and _Crash! _jostled the whole town, sending the headsman down onto the stones. A shadow reached out over us all, and a violent, very loud _ROAR_ bellowed from whatever was up on the tower.

I peeked up to see my unwitting, probably uncaring, savior: a sodding dragon! Its form was craggy and ancient, even terrifying. Black scales, dark eyes. It let out some sort of word, I still don't know what it said, but the rain stopped dead. The very sky responded to the voice, turning dark as a tempest and raining fireballs down onto the town. Chaos gripped the town, except for myself and General Tullius. I was in awe, and he started giving orders to his soldiers.

Ralof came over to help me up, saying, "Come on, Breton. Let's get out of here!"

There was no way I was going to argue with that logic. I followed him into a tower where Ulfric was taking off his gag. Ralof asked in his continuing panic, "The Imperials have a Dragon!?"

"Never mind that. We need to get out of here." Now I knew why people would follow him. Even under attack from a dragon, he held himself together. Like a rock. He looked me over once, "If you make it out of here, come find me in Windhelm. I could use anyone I can get."

The image of fire raced through my mind. In lieu of a better idea, I focused an image of fire at my bindings. A moment later they were gone, replaced by a pungent odor of burnt leather.

The whole place shook twice, that dragon must have landed to burn some more soldiers.

Loudmouth peeked out the doorway, "That dragon will destroy us all!"

Ulfric eyed me then, "Up the stairs, get a better view."

Halfway up the first part of the staircase, the dragon smashed a hole in the wall. As it inhaled, I swore I heard a phrase start from the creature. Not wanting to find out what it was doing, I turned and lept down. Focusing blue magic around myself, I landed without incident. There had been a man up there with me, he must have been frozen in panic. As I made my way back up there, only the stench of burnt meat greeted me. Ralof joined me, though, "Jump off and get to safety. Good luck, Breton."

Seeing the broken, slowly burning home before and below me, I used my magic to land again. The structure was filled with smoke, but it was easy to navigate to something resembling freedom. I stepped outside to find a boy and his father crouching in fear by a house, a soldier who immediately waved me over to himself, and that sodding, evil dragon flying overhead.

Making my way over to the soldier, I took a look at the weapon in his hands, "I saw you using magic over there, Breton. So I doubt this bit of steel will really bother the likes of you." He nodded in a kind manner, however, "I'm Hadvar. Stick close to me and we'll get out of this mess."

Wading through the remains of the town and avoiding the dragon, we came upon Helgen's Keep. Ralof stood there, "Ralof you damn traitor! Out of my way!" Hadvar turned to me, "Come on, let's get out of this."

Loudmouth waved at me, "Breton, you made it! Ha! Let's get out of here!"

For a moment, I looked between the two men. Hadvar was helpful, even if gruff. Ralof on the other hand, was actively supporting a jerk. I do not like jerks. That caused an image, a memory, to pop into my head.

_My friend Trebin. Dark robes concealing his steel armor, and his yellow eyes staring out from that hood. It didn't mask his snout of a mouth and pink nose. Khajit were cute like that. He was trying to turn me in to the Thalmor for a reward. They weren't going to give him one, but he could sweet talk a recent widow out of her wedding band. I'd seen him do it before. The Thalmor! The jerk thought he could trick them, but they tricked him into taking a pouch with something other than gold in it. When he opened the pouch, a young spider jumped out and bit his hand. It had a barely visible purple-red aura to it. He was dead in a moment. Thankfully, so was the spider. Poor bastard. It wouldn't be long till his whole body was reduced to nothing. A moment later, I felt something careen off of the back of my head; as if in a temporal-dilation field, everything went by slowly. Even landing on the floor. Thankfully, that's when I blacked out.  
_

I welled up some magic in my hands, producing a fireball in the palm of each of my hands and crushed them together. I had chosen to end Ralof in a smoldering gel of fire that I knew wouldn't leave him until he was beyond well done. His screaming hadn't stopped as Hadvar led me into the Keep, "You didn't need to kill him, Breton."

"Call me Erad. And we don't have time for me to explain that, yet." Surveying the Keep's barracks, I spied a sword on the wall.

He nodded, "Alright Erad. That does save me the grief of capturing him again. You should look through these chests, there might be something in here a woman your size could wear. Those rags can't be too warm."

I hated to admit it, but he was right. Going through the few trunks, all I found were a couple sets of shirts and pants, and a set of light Imperial armor. _Armor would just slow me down. _I laid the clothes out on the table, weaving a spell to turn them into a warm robe with undergarments of some kind. After donning the _clean_ ensemble, I laid out the head to toe armor set. This time, I got a small pack to carry things and some basic equipment for survival.

Hadvar looked over what I was now wearing with an impressed expression, "Damn. That has to be the most useful spell I've ever seen."

I coyly glimpsed at him, "Obviously you haven't been to High Rock. There were a few mages there each over a thousand years old. I learned from the best, but there's always more."

He nodded thoughtfully, "Well, shall we?"

I looked over to the longsword in the weapon rack; reaching out with my hand and some magic, I now held the weapon. It wasn't light enough for me, so I turned my gaze to him again, "Just one more."

I turned the longsword into a long-handled shortsword and a curved, well-balanced, throwing and survival knife. Sheathing my new, yet basic weapons, I lightly bounced over to him, ready to get this over with.

We began walking down the hallway and he asked, "You can change cloth into leather. Can you-"

"Steel or iron doesn't turn into gold, no. That would be too easy, apparently," I knew right where that was headed. Flashbacks to my mentors back home had drilled that into my head early and nigh-permanently.

As we rounded a corner, I could hear some people talking. I gestured to Hadvar to halt. In a nearly silent voice, I said to him, _"One moment."_

As quietly as I could, I made my way to the open door just after the corner. Peeking in, I saw two barely-armored men conversing with a slightly-more-armored woman. Blue cloaks on their backs. They were Nords, but not with the Empire. _Ulfric supporters?_

I didn't draw my weapon as I entered the room, "Excuse me-"

My words were cut short by one of the men taking a clumsy swing at me with his warhammer. I groaned at him, "Really? I could easily obliterate you."

"Ha! This kid thinks she can bluff her way out of this place!" The three of them had a good laugh while I secretly gathered magic into my muscles and tendons.

Unfortunately, the woman came at me with a sword and shield. Dodging her sword was easy, but her shield hit my arm, stalling my advance. She was surprised by my strength in resisting the bash, "What in Talos' name is this magic?"

I took the moment to punch her shield and sword rather lightly, breaking both of them at once. She staggered back from the sundering of her shield, mouth agape at me and clutching her probably bruised arm.

Letting a smile creep over my face, I couldn't help but turn it into a grin, "I'm a Breton, not a kid. You've never seen a student of Magicae Coporis."

The two men decided to charge me together. I stopped the warhammer with a touch, but missed my timing on the great sword. It landed against my side; there would be a nasty bruise. Warhammer dropped his weapon and turned toward the open door beside me to run, only to be disemboweled by a waiting Hadvar.

Greatsword let go of his weapon as I grabbed onto it. I stated coolly to them both, "Do you want to die right now, without glory? Or would you rather swear loyalty to lend me your aid for the time being?"

They didn't answer, mulling over the pitiful assault they could no longer amass. I flipped the greatsword grip into my left hand, "No one should die in vain. Help me and after we're all safe, I'll let you go. Perhaps even with something valuable."

The woman stepped forward, "Da always said not to look a gift horse in the mouth."

I turned my gaze to Hadvar in a questioning manner. He sheathed his sword with ease, "No way I'm going against someone who can ignore that kind of punishment."

I nodded to her then, "You have my word. What may I call you?"

She extended her right hand friend-like and smiled, "Kendra." I accepted her handshake and smiled, too, "Erad." Kendra was glad to find her hand hadn't been crushed, as I had pulled the magic from that hand of mine.

The man walked over now and extended his hand, "Ginther." When I grasped his hand similarly, he really grabbed onto my hand, trying to crush it. I immediately pushed some magic back into that hand, but I knew something had given out. _Divines, that hurt._

He must have forgotten I was still holding that greatsword. The look on his face when he pulled back a blood-gushing stump was quite priceless. I sighed, pushing green healing energy into my broken hand, "No shinies for you..."

He groaned and fell back onto the ground. To his credit, he did manage to whip a dagger at my head shortly thereafter. A rapid strike with my greatsword knocked the tiny weapon back at him, hitting him around his exposed groin area with a long, low grunt of extreme pain.

I looked aside to Kendra, "Speak your mind."

She gulped at her comrade of several months and scrunched her face in disgust, "Not that he isn't a moron, but does he deserve such a death?"

I set the greatsword on a bench along the wall and took out my shortsword, "As much as I'd like him to suffer for his stupidity, we don't have the time." A quick snap of my magic-enhanced arm and weapon punched a tiny hole in his chest, bursting his heart instantly. I thought out a prayer to Stendarr and said aloud, "May Sovengarde be open to you, Ginther."

I yanked off the damaged plate of Ginther's cuirass and set it over the greatsword on the bench. Before transmuting them into things for Kendra, I waved my hand over one of the stones in the wall. Green energy flashed for a moment and I drew out a stick of purple and green chalk. I smiled at the funny color I had created, "I think I'll take this as a color scheme."

Transmuting her things left me feeling a bit weak, most of my magic energy was gone now. I couldn't help but stagger, putting my free hand against the wall.

Kendra stepped over to support me and asked, "Are you alright?"

Shifting my chalk to her cuirass, I inscribed a couple of symbols onto it. She lifted an eyebrow at me, "What's that for? And- will it drain you further?"

"Protection from fire, probably twenty percent; resistance to damage, 'bout the same; And- no, I … think I put too much energy into the enchanting chalk."

With that, she took a blue potion from her pouch and offered it to me, "I swiped this from an Imperial mage's body."

Looking it over, I uttered, "It should stave off the fatigue long enough for me to recover."

She popped the topper free and helped me drink it down. I relaxed, staring at the ceiling as the elixer did its work, "Oh Gods, that's like moon sugar for mages!"

Kendra smirked a bit at that, "Don't let it go to your head."

I stepped free from her and shook my head clear, though her hand remained on my shoulder, "Thank you."

She crouched down and retrieved her shiny new sword and shield. Inscription was so simple, but pushing too much of one's self into the marking tool was far too easy. I would have to work on that. I put an enchantment of acid damage on her sword and damage reflection on her shield, grinning as I did the latter.

Looking over what I'd done for our new friend, Hadvar had stepped up to me, quiet as a mouse, and touched my shoulder, "What about me?" I quickly spun around and gave him each of the enchantments, as well. It wouldn't do to have a party I couldn't count on to survive the unknown if I could help it.

For the hell of it, I looked between the two of them for a moment. Their armors neither matched, nor were stylish. One last enchantment each would do the trick, "Glamoured armor. You can now change the look of your armor at will, with a picture in your head. Tis only as good as your imagination or memory, however." Later, I would do something about my own clothing. _We need to get out of here before the dragon laid waste to this town._ A few shocks here and there from the floor reminded me of the big, evil jerk.

Dusting my hands clean of the remains of my chalk, I drew my shortsword and led my party down into the depths of Helgen Keep.

The next chamber was the Keep's dungeon. Two guys with two-handers and blue cloaks were assaulting three guys in red. One of them was clearly local, the other pair were definitely with the Empire. I flung a small plasma ball into the further Stormcoak, surprising his partner long enough for his Imperial soldier to get in a solid jab. The one with the internal fire didn't go down even as I walked up with more magic shining in my hands.

A look of horror on his face told me enough, but he spoke anyway, "What in Aetherius is burning _inside_ me?"

"Plasma," I stated in a flat tone. "If I don't dispell it, it will consume you with ever increasing pain and conflagration."

"P-" he stuttered out. "Put it out."

"Become a sellsword..." I hesitated, holding the spell energy in plain sight.

He nodded frantically. Immediately I touched his side, dousing the plasma within him, "When we get out of here, I will figure out something to monetarily compensate you."

After ensuring he wouldn't be finished off by the rest of my party, my entourage followed me into the next tunnel. It's good to know you've got lots and lots of backup when you're going into the unknown. The passage opened up into a cavern with a stream running through it. Ostensibly, this was the cistern. _Divines, I'd thought I had smelled the worst you had to offer; thanks for proving me wrong. Again. _If I'd had lunch, I would have lost it right there.

Shy of a dozen Stormcloaks were fighting against a handful of Imperial troops, who were losing badly before we got there. It was quickly over. Hadvar, Kendra, and myself laid waste to the Stormcloaks in a few moments. The others held fast to ensure no enemies doubled back into the Keep. There had been a couple of archers too; I didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to stand in flash oil. I was despondent at being proven wrong again. _Aren't these trained soldiers?!_ "Too sodding easy, guys." I had to shake my head as I watched their corpses being burned beyond recognition.

A moderately armored Orc remained, but claimed Helgen was his home. I decided to let him be.

Kendra sighed when she saw the burning remains, "We could have used their bows..."

My eyes darted around the room, taking stock of what was available, "I'll need one of the greatswords- make that two." I skipped over beside the stream, putrid as it was. A memory slipped forth into my consciousness:

_Master Lacoris. Bald, piercing grey eyes, gnarled staff in hand addressed a disparately shorter version of myself. _Just after my fifth birthday._ "Mother nature herself, Kyne, grants us magicae energies many will never recognize. Take the stream here, for instance. As long as the mountain has snow, the water will flow. It is slower to gather than-" he snorted, "what modern 'mages' think they need. When our reserves of Will fail, Kyne's gifts remain, however minimal."_

Slowly I smiled at the running water, "Kyne's grace will do nicely."

Stretched hands and feelings drew enough energy to make the transmutations with plenty left over to restore my own reserve. Opening my eyes, I was rewarded with a sense of peace I hadn't felt in days. Two bows of steel, and quivers with around twenty all-steel arrows were collected. I kept one, handing the other to Kendra. She wonderingly inquired of me, "How heavy a draw are these?"

"I think around 3 stone, provided I did everything right."

The other former Stormcloak in my employ uttered something I didn't quite hear. Kendra picked up on it and glared at him as a warning. He rolled his eyes in response.

She looked at me for a moment and I shrugged. I really don't know what he had said. Not that I really cared, either.

As we made our way into the caves and passed over a wooden bridge, the Stormcloak man and two Imperial soldiers were crushed by falling boulders. Not to mention blocking the way back. Another glimpse from Kendra had me peering through the rubble with my magic. I solemnly shook my head. I focused some magic into my right hand, inscribing symbols of each of the Nine on the rocks, making sure to leave Akatosh at the top, with Talos at his right. _The Thalmor will appreciate that._ _Jerks._

Pushing further, I stopped the party where the stream entered low in the rocks, a path led right, "Hadvar and Kendra on me. The rest of you, wait for a yell. Then come in ready to fight."

Hadvar looked at me quizzically, to which I pointed up at our ceiling. A multitude of spider webs crisscrossed and hung from the rocks. That earned a few drawn breaths from the men. Kendra and Hadvar easily nodded. I looked over the others, all of whom drew their weapons and bobbed their heads in acceptance.

I was the tip of the spear, but not alone entering a lair of cave spiders. _These things are huge! Kyne, what were you thinking?!_

A pair of sizable spiders went down with a pair of plasma bolts. That's when nearly a dozen descended upon us, including one that was the size of a wilderness shack!

"Don't let them bite you!" I yelled out, signaling our backup to get in on the fight.

Kendra brained one spider who got too close to her, "Their venom is acidic!"

The rest of the team joined in the fray and spider-bits flew every which-way. Two of our men had been poisoned so I cured them as quick as I could. Then I got the idea to make some bottles and scavenge some venom for later use. _This could come in handy._ I handed a vial to Kendra, "Put it somewhere safe, where it won't break."

In the next chamber, I spotted perhaps an even greater danger. Some Elves in dark armor were taking down a brown bear. _Poor thing, it just lives here... Wait a minute...  
"Thalmor?" _I whispered.

Hadvar peered at the scene ahead, _"I think you're right. They look familiar."_

I gnashed my teeth, _"If you don't mind, I'm going to lay waste to them."_

_"Just don't fail,"_ he warned me. I slowly nodded in agreement.

Silently creeping forward to cross a makeshift bridge over the stream, I drew my bow and an arrow. I had only been thinking about using the spider venom, but there the vial was floating before me with the top opened. As the arrow loosed free of the string, I rapidly drew another arrow and touched it with venom for another strike. My first arrow struck one Elf in the lower back, just left of the spine. A feminine shriek echoed and died almost instantly. My second arrow pinned another's arm to his torso; permanently.

I put away the bow, now that the other four advanced toward my position. My shortsword and body enhancements would be beyond enough. I did coat my weapon with the remaining venom from the vial, though. It wasn't the fastest fight I had that day, but it was the most satisfying. Butchering two in the first attack, number three made for the lighted area where the slain bear lay. Number four crossed behind and made for a larger area. I took out my survival knife and whipped it at him. I must have used more magic than I normally would have for my body enhancements, because the knife passed through his shoulder and stuck into the rocks with a metallic _clang!_ Number three dropped her longsword and gaped at her comrade in awe. It wasn't long before Four collapsed from shock and blood loss.

Turning our gaze toward one another, Number Three lifted her hands in a submissive, yet terrified "halt". She failed to form the words, so I drew closer to her and quizzically inquired, "Give me a reason to stop slaughtering, _Thalmor._"

Stepping into the light, she must have recognized me, "Y- you. I know of you."

I extended my blade through the streaming light and occasional drips of rain water, "What do you know?"

"We- we were supposed to stop you, should you-." She gulped, trying to regain some composure, "should you escape the bowels of the Keep."

"Obviously that _will_ happen. Who sent you?"

She started shaking at that, "They'll _kill _me!"

I tilted my head at her, "I'll rend you and your friend into a poison to use against your kind. WHO SENT YOU?!"

She must have soiled herself, because she dropped to her knees and sobbed for a bit. When she calmed down enough, the elf answered, "Ondolemar. Ondolemar sent us."

Hadvar stepped forth from behind me, Divines bless him. He commented dryly to her, "He can't order anything like this. I bet I know who really sent you."

"No, don't-" she sobbed.

"El-"

The poor thing interrupted Hadvar, "Elenwen! Yes, Elenwen herself sent the order!"

I turned my gaze to the Nord beside me through much of this mess, "I cannot have Thalmor agents with me... nor can I have them reporting back."

His nod of acceptance surprised me, "You're right. That air of superiority of theirs would get on my nerves..."

I snapped back to the Elf now kneeling before us, "Ensure the other is dead. He wouldn't survive without my magic, anyways." Hadvar disappeared from our shower of light at that.

I stowed my weapon and kicked away the dropped sword near the defeated Thalmor agent, "There is... one way you could possibly survive this..."

Her gaze flicked up to me in hopeful curiosity.

"Your memories. Who you became. They are your damnation and your only chance." I showily pushed a viridian aura into my palms.

"What of them?" she pleaded.

"How long have you assumed Mer were superior to Men?"

"It- started ... formed... when I attended my tenth year of school."

I circled around behind her, all the while ordering her, "Discard your helmet and belongings before you." She proceeded to throw her things forth. Then I told her, "All- your belongings..." Her head tilted, trying to discern my meaning. "Your armor and clothing."

A rumble started back near the Keep and swept through the cave, ending in a distant roar.

I didn't see the Elf shedding her Thalmor armor or tearing the clothing from her supple form.

When I heard her sobbing again, I focused on her and the cleansing magics of the flowing water. I rested my hands on either side of her head, "Relax and remember your life. This... may hurt, but you will survive."

She took a deep breath and sniffled, "The Thalmor have brought me nothing but horror. The pride of Mer is our greatest weakness; our greatest mistake."

I quietly asked her in her mind, _If you could, what would you do different?_

"I would have taken an invisibility potion and fled with the battle plans the night before our assault on White-Gold Tower."

The dream-state lasted far longer than I would have liked. Perhaps I had put too much of myself into the interaction, as I passed out after seeing her through the greater part of the dream.

I awoke some time later under the stars. Weak but alive, I quietly stated, "So beautiful, I nearly forgot."

"Fearless leader survived!" The woman's voice quieted, hearing my groan, "Sorry. How are you feeling?"

"Heavy," I answered. "Hungry and thirsty, too."

The woman, rather the Elf now that my vision was clearing, pulled my bedroll closer to the fire. She helped me sit up, "I'm grateful for what you did, Erad the Corporis Sorceress."

As I was aided in eating some meat, I managed to utter, "Just Erad. Mff, someone knows how to cook."

Kendra, who sat across from me at the fire, pointed to Hadvar, "Blame him and his men. They got enough mudcrabs for a couple days."

I looked over my shoulder to see Hadvar prepping another mudcrab body for roasting. He smiled, "We can't have our best weapon powerless."

"Thanks, all of you."

At some point, I was lain back down. Not that I really slept, as I kept hearing the others talk now and then. Hadvar and Kendra talked like old friends. "I would never have believed that was possible," he pointed out. She agreed, "I'm just glad I didn't find out what that sword of hers felt like in my chest." I knew his next word carried far more meaning than I cared to think about then, "Aye."

Eventually the sun shown down on us. I didn't feel so heavy and I picked myself up, much to the surprise of the others. Rolling up the bedroll, I noticed something so soft about it, "Bearskin."

"Aye. The rest of us can't transmute things, let alone what you did for Facifith." Hadvar paused, "You deserved the best possible rest out of all of us."

"Thanks again, then." I realized my pack was nowhere nearby, "You must have needed the tools from that pack I had..."

"Falcifith? Do you still have Erad's pack?" he asked aloud.

A short bit away, the Elf's voice called back, "Yes. I'll be up in a bit."

Lifting my left forearm to my nose, I smelt something unpleasant. I called out, "Stay there, I need a wash myself."

I pushed myself to my feet, leaving the safety of a group of stones with holes in them and our camp for the good-sized flow of water below. Swimming a bit away was Facifith; her sleek form easily on display for any passerby to see. I shed my clothes, left them beside hers, and joined in a good swim.

We ended up on the beach, gazing at the beauty of the land before us. It seemed neither of us spent much time soaking up sunlight before. Eventually Kendra found us lying on the beach. Her voice startled Facifith somewhat, "You two ready to get on with it? Or do you want to waste another day at the Standing Stones?"

"Sunlight's warm. Very pleasant." There was no hiding my sense of serenity.

Kendra must have picked up our clothes, because she came over and dropped them onto each of us, "Come on, those boys heard something about money somewhere in that dungeon. They want whatever you're going to give them."

I sighed at her, "All I need is a good stretch of sand and around an hour."

After Kendra left, Facifith turned onto her left side and propped her head on her left arm. She must have seen my eyes acknowledge her closeness, because the next thing she did was push my clothes off my tummy, replacing them with her air-chilled hand.

I bristled and inhaled at the contact. "Erad..." she said in a low, seductive tone that made me blush.

"Hmm?" was all I could get out, given that my mouth would not open.

"Just," the Elf started to say as she traced my bellybutton. "How long will your spell... _really..._ take to _perform_?"

"M- mo- st of that time." My eyes slowly swiveled to meet hers as she flattened out her hand to caress something lower than my bellybutton. I couldn't speak, not with that hand..

Eventually I pushed through the sensations and denied her hand what she was after. "This won't take long, but later... when there's enough time... sure."

After we dressed, I drew a few good sized circles in the sand with my feet. Using my magic, I forged the sand into gemstones of varying types. If only the Empire knew how easily obtainable the main ingredient of glass really, truly was. Alas, I would probably have to tell them myself. When we got back to the campsite near the stones, Kendra was just dousing the fire. I waited only a moment before retrieving the logs and arranging them so that their charred portions were as close together as possible. Magic made diamonds of the coals. The soldiers all gathered 'round to look at what we now had. The poor sods had rarely ever seen so much wealth before. I figured it was around twenty-four thousand gold in total. I could have been wrong, but free money is still money.

All told, I forked over about one thousand gold worth of gemstones to each of them, minus Kendra and Hadvar, "As long as you all split destinations here and there, the Thalmor will be none the wiser from whence you came."

The men all nodded and went in three smaller groups, each man ready to relax or see their family. Hadvar, Kendra, Facifith, and myself remained. Had glimpsed at Kendra first, "I'm headed home to Riverwood, just up the road here. Care to see the place?"

Kendra shrugged, much to his chagrin, "I'm going to stick with Erad for a while."

Facifith's words startled me, "I haven't been to Riverwood before..."

He shrugged at that and turned to me, "If you ever need a place to stay in Riverwood, my Pa is the blacksmith."

I nodded to him, "Thanks Hadvar."

"Shouldn't someone report the dragon's attack to the local Jarl?" Kendra asked.

Hadvar agreed with her, "Yes, someone should. Probably you two, since Erad's abilities far outweigh anything I ever saw." He glimpsed at me again, "Even what I've seen the Empire come up with, or heard about with any of the Elves."

I stood up, slinging my pack onto my shoulders, "If that dragon kills enough people, my magics won't be enough to help the survivors." I extended my hand to Hadvar in conclusion, "Make your way to Tullius. Tell him ev-," my eyes wandered to Facifith for a moment, "maybe not _everything_, but enough. The Empire shouldn't have to suffer the Thalmor _and_ Ulfric."

He shook my hand easily, "Agreed, and I will."

As Facifith and Hadvar left us, she called back, "Till we meet again, Erad and Kendra!"

We waved back to the pair.

Kendra put one of her big hands on my little shoulder, "So, what was that look of disappointment in your face when she freely offered to go with him?"

I looked up into her deep blue eyes for a moment as a sneakily put a hand on her rear, "It was something like that, only better."

She widened her eyes when I grabbed her, "Oh. I see."

I rapidly swiveled around, having heard a strange noise. It was coming from the stones, so I cautiously approached.

Kendra looked after me and asked, "What is it?"

"Do you hear something? Like little crystal chimes?" I cocked my head, trying to get a better idea where the noise was coming from.

"No," She stated.

Stopping at the middle of the stone base they rested upon, I looked over my shoulder at her, "Well I do, so come."

I extended my right arm back in an invitation for Kendra. She came over as ordered. As my arm circled her waist she softly stated, "Oh, I do hear it now! Rather pretty."

Kendra glimpsed at the stone to our right, her long reddish hair now not constrained by an ugly Stormcloak helmet. "I see a shimmer of light in this one," she said in awe, reaching out to touch the light she saw. As her hand touched the stone, even I could see a bright light shoot up into the sky for a moment.

"Wow," was all I could say. I did feel something different about her, but I didn't say it. Her form had gained some muscle. I was sure she gained a couple cubits in height, as my arm barely held her firm ass thereafter.

She blinked those blue eyes of hers as she took a look around, "Everything seems- a bit smaller now."

I squeezed her with my arm and gazed into her eyes, "Oh, _really... _I bet I could still kick that sweet ass of yours."

"Keep talking like that, and I'll take you for a tumble." I must have really blushed when she finished that sentence, because I lost the ability to speak for a while after.

I did manage to separate myself from her and reach the middle stone. A massive light lanced into the sky like a beacon to the Gods themselves when I laid my hands on it. Light poured into and through me for what seemed an eternity.

Hearing Kendra's voice calling my name, my eyes slowly opened. Her blurry face seemed like Mother Mara herself. I lifted a hand and touched her velvet-soft cheek, silencing her cries. We stayed like that for a few ticks: her eyes never flinching as I caressed her skin.

Her sigh broke the moment, but not in a bad way, "We should get moving. Riverwood will need aid as soon as possible."

"That's twice now your voice brought me back. You know that?"

She grasped my hand softly, "Come on you, up and on your cute little feet."

I dangled from her hand as she stood up, keeping her arm perpendicular to her body, "You gonna carry the tiny mage now, or what?"

She grinned, "I'm wondering if I'm strong enough to throw you all the way to Whiterun."

I shook my head, "I would guess not. Even Giants aren't built on such a scale."

When I was gently let down onto the ground, I pushed magic into my muscles and tendons once more. I bounced on my toes to-and-fro, "Think you're fast enough to keep up and_ keep up_?"

Kendra put her hands on her hips and stuck out her chest in a heroic pose, "Maybe. What be you proposing?"

I feigned surprise at her choice of words, "Hey! I'm not suggesting marriage... _yet. _What if you can't kiss?"

She moved quick and did her best to prove me wrong. As it turned out, I like big hands. In turn, she seemed to appreciate small mouths. Her hair was softer than silk, too.

Eventually I climbed onto her back, taking a moment to reshape some of her armor so I might be comfortable. I placed my hands on her shoulder and the opposite side of her neck, whispering into her ear, _"We could do that all day, but there are some people to save first." _Her giggling and taking off only confirmed my suspicions.

Looking up along the other side of the river, I spotted a structure in the little range of mountains, "What is that?"

"Bleak Falls Barrow. Ancient Nords built places like that all over Skyrim to bury their dead. Most of them are cursed beyond recognition."

Kendra sped through Riverwood with ease, taking pains to not mow anyone down or step on children and their dog.


	2. Wah Krii Hin Dovah

Over the river and up into the woods, Kendra slowed as we reached the apex of the hill. A hungry looking wolf trudged forward from a bush. One burst of plasma at the ground before it sent the animal packing with a whine.

"Why didn't you just kill it?" She wondered.

I rested my head against hers and draped my arms over her chest, "Kyne doesn't need me massacring everything in sight. Besides, if the wild animals that are afraid of us don't survive... there will come a time when naught of nature will."

Kendra hummed at the thought before pointing over to a settlement across a stream and past a farm, "There, that's Whiterun. Dragon's Reach sits behind it on the hill."

My gaze went from far left to the city of Whiterun. Kendra's big head was in my way. I almost had to stand on my perch to see to our right. "Your head's twice as big as mine," bless her big heart, I couldn't help giggling after I said it.

We made our way down the hillside and began approaching a farm only to hear sounds of battle. Kendra sprinted to the other side of the barn. "A sodding Giant!" I said in amazement. The creature was matched rather even with its assailants: a group of animalistic-looking warriors who seemed to be protecting the farm.

Without thinking, I lept from Kendra and drew magic into my hands in preparation. One of the warriors had slipped behind the Giant and slashed its left calf open, bringing the creature to one knee and gifting it copious pain.

I thrust my magic upon the Giant's form, blanketing him in a powerful shield. The warriors tried their weapons against it, but their steel just bounced off. One of the warriors spied me getting close and holding a spell at their prey; she glared at me and charged. Kendra caught up just as the poor woman was halfway to me, our size difference gave the warrior pause to consider us.

Her voice was gentle, but not happy, "This creature has attacked this very farm, killing several animals and ruining crops. Why-"

"After I cover the lost livestock, I'm going to let him go with what he has killed," my words struck her weirdly. She didn't have a response right away, so I continued, "Commerce has no place in their society, yet. Until we learn to coexist in peace with that which Kyne gifts us, we will never evolve."

The warrior crossed her arms at me, "We Companions were paid to ensure the safety of this farm. Your way would let this Giant return."

"He can't move right now, much as he wants to," I noted, causing her to step back and and see both of us at once. I relented some of my shield so the Giant could move his head. He must have recognized the aura of the energy around him and that from my hands, because he really sighed. Additionally, he shook his head clean on sweat, which sprayed outward. _Ugh._

"Looks worn out. His restraint can't be helping that wounded leg."

I shifted my left hand and a portion of the shield to only grab his club, pulling it from his grasp and setting it in the road off a ways. His eyes set upon me, either in curiosity or annoyance was difficult to discern. I shifted the left part of the shield back to him, while I released my right hand of magic. He closed his eyes and relaxed further.

Kendra regarded the warriors together, "Hail, Companions. You would have enough honor not to attack a defenseless creature."

Now the other two came around to sate their curiosity. They conversed briefly, assessing one another. One "Ria" the other "Farkas."

Farkas gave Kendra and myself a distant examination, "Heh, what brings a Breton and a Nord together?"

I inhaled in preperation to answer, Kendra beat me to the punch, "A dragon assaulting Helgen."

He gruffly snorted at us, "That explains the noise we heard."

The first woman remained cross with us. Me, specifically, "Get to it, already." She looked back to the Giant again, "Farkas..."

He turned his eyes to her, "Yeah, Aela?"

"Please get the manager so we can get this over with," she sighed.

I focused a fragment of magic into my mind, trying to listen or feel the emotions around me. The Companions' anger wasn't strong, but it was there. The Giant was confused, but a sense of gratefulness permeated his current mood. Kendra kept a plan in her head, but not even she really knew how strong the stone's gift had made her.

Letting go of the shield, I held another spell in my other hand as a warning. The Giant got the idea and remained in his position. Switching the orange for green in my hand was easy and at the least, I sealed his wounds. Mending his form would take more magic than I currently had. I pointed over to the group of fresh kills and padded over to them. Using a little more magic, I dragged them together for the Giant. If I didn't know any better, I would have said he was surprised. Gathering his kills, he inclined his head to me and plodded East. _Thud, thud, thud..._

Aela brought the farm manager over, a Nord man with a stern air about him, he immediately took to some name calling and waving a finger at me. His fire of his rant was doused when I tossed a good sized emerald at him, "This ought to cover your losses."

"Companions are paid in gold and honor," the Huntress noted to me.

I nodded to her in agreement, "I do have to see the Jarl. How much is an interruption of your duty worth?"

"Kodlak will know," she answered. "This should be resolved _first." _I felt an impression of something blatantly evil within her when she growled that last word.

Whiterun was far larger than Helgen and a far sight prettier. 'Quaint' as Kendra put it. A woman argued with a man about his wanting a shipment worth of weapons. _She must make good steel_, I noted.

We made our way up a gorgeous staircase of marble, either side of which held a stonework waterfall. Our ascent brought us to a dead tree in a seemingly ritualistic setting: heavy timbers had been made into an overhead circle and numerous vines entangled them, making an elegant scene. I slipped from my shoes and padded onto the dirt, resting my fingers on the tree when I was close enough. "By Kyne," I could feel a pulse of life within the form, but it was terribly weak.

A voice from behind and off to the side brought me back to reality, "Traditionally, none actually touch the Gildergreen, child."

I turned my head to see who had spoken, a priestess, "It's quiet old. Enough that its body is failing." My gaze drifted back to the lumber under my fingertips. "For a tree," my heart sank just a little at that.

She nodded, "Extremely old. Existing even before metal."

Lowering my hands, I retrieved my shoes and focused on the priestess anew, "I'm Erad."

She smiled, "Danica Pure-Spring, priestess of Kynareth. It's nice to meet another who appreciates the world we live in."

I nodded in agreement, but reluctantly shifted the topic, "I have business to attend to, but I will be back to talk some more."

Aela led the way to the Companion's mead hall. It was an impressive building, only Dragon's Reach was larger in all of Whiterun. The homes in town were of similar construction: wooden beams, stone walls, and a straw roof tied on. Jorrvaskar was definitely larger on the inside than I'd imagined, even including a basement. The energy in the upper floor was one of warmth, belonging, and celebration. I must have been smiling, since Kendra nudged me with a smirk on her face.

Led into the lower level, we saw several rooms with beds and a few personal quarters. Aela ended the journey at the last doorway, turning to face us, "Kodlak's room. Wait here."

They trio weren't in there for very long before Aela herself opened the door to let the group out again, "He wants to talk."

Farkas grumbled, trying to keep his words from reaching the man inside, "Old man's gone crazy, I tell you."

Entering the room, an white haired man greeted us, "Hail travelers. I'll get straight to the point. Why not kill the Giant?"

"When you're out in the forrest, do you not partake of Kyne's gifts of food?" I couldn't help sounding like a priestess, the idea popped into my thoughts as soon as I saw the scene at the farm.

He nodded with a smile, "I do indeed." Kodlak sighed, "Too long have we taken, not taking care. Come to think of it, there are nearly none in the current age who use the Goddess' old name." His eyes squinted, really peering at me, "Erad was it? The hunters say you're a mage of odd powers."

Hearing his words discontinue, mine began, "Not odd, just such an old way that so few know of it. Both the Dwarves and the Psijic Order were practitioners, each in their own ways."

The old man nodded, "And what old way is that?"

"Magicae Coporis."

He tilted his head in consideration, "...of the body. No wonder you could hold a Giant still and keep him safe at the same time." Then his eyes flicked to Kendra, "And you... who are you? and what of you?"

She easily told him, "Kendra, I too was at Helgen. Survival was preferable to being food for a dragon."

I would have spoken, if I could have come up with something decent to add.

Kodlak must have had the sight as well, when I check him with my magical sight, he reacted, "What do you see, _mage_?"

His tonality speaking that last word was rather offensive, but I shrugged it off, "I saw it in Aela too. A creature not of this world."

"Oh?" he chuckled. "And where is this creature from?"

"If I remember the stories right, it was a gift from Hircine. Although, I don't recall any stories of it being used for good..."

Kodlak exhaled, as if tired, "You- _I _think you're right that it's a curse." He shook his head, "None outside the Circle know. The question now is: what to do with you two?"

_Aela must have seen something in my expression I wasn't aware of. Dammit._

He stood from his chair to look down, as a master would a student, "Companions do not run from a good fight, but we are not foolish. Escape to survive and fight again is a sound concept. Rallying the Jarls to aid the outlying settlements is most honorable."

My eyebrow lifted as he spoke, so he concluded, "As Harbinger of the Companions, I offer you the chance to prove your true worth. What say you?"

Kendra didn't hesitate, "I would be honored to join you."

I, however, took a moment. There wasn't a lot to consider, as I doubted I would ever be offered their gift, not that I would want it. In the end, I decided, "Very well."

Kodlak's grin was a bit wolfish for my liking, "Good."

Before he continued, I lifted a hand to signal him to pause, "I must ask you something..."

His eyebrows lifted, revealing his surprise, "Go ahead."

I looked down at my feet for a minute before gazing at him in curiosity, "What gave you reason to trust me, to trust us, with the knowledge of your condition?"

"Aela..." he tried to start.

I interrupted the lie, "Simply exposing it wouldn't provoke your admittance of your disdain for it."

Kodlak was taken aback by my realization, "I- had a dream once. A short, massively powerful mage aided me when I was most vulnerable."

I could feel Kendra's smirk, even before she spoke, "Erad sure is short."

My eyes narrowed while Kodlak coughed and laughed. After a moment, he stopped his amusement, "In any case, you are the one from my dream, Erad. Will you help a tired, old man?"

He smiled as I nodded, "Thank you. For now, you're a Newblood of the Companions. Be a dear and see if Vilkas is around. I want to speak with him."

Exiting Kodlak's office, the trio of Companions loitered with another. "Vilkas?" I unsurely inquired.

The one I didn't recognize looked over at me, "Yeah? What do you want, _Newblood_?"

I nodded back to behind me, "Kodlak wants to see you."

After he went in and closed the door, his voice shot up in volume, _"What?! You can't be serious!"_

The door opened after another moment and Vilkas was gazing at the ground as he walked, "Come on Newbloods."

We each proved too much for Vilkas, I healed him and mended his armor when it was over. He sat there for a bit before trying to get to his feet, "By Shor. If you're not strong enough to join us, I'll eat my boots after a run through the cistern of White-Gold Tower."

I scrunched my nose at that thought and we all went inside Jorrvaskar. Kendra yawned and took a seat, "...it's about time I ate something."

Taking the seat beside her, I scooted closer to her and joined in our second meal. It wasn't more than a half hour and I was done. Looking over at Kendra devouring a second ham, I prodded her side with my finger, "Where are you puttin' all that?"

Kendra turned her gaze to me with a silent, food-freckled grin. I must have blushed when my eyes skimmed her form down and back to her face, because she lifted an eyebrow in response before murmuring something I didn't hear.

We talked to Vilkas afterward, stating we had to go see the Jarl before anything else. He shrugged, "Come back by midday, I'll have something on par with your abilities by then."

Dragon's Reach was definitely impressive, if a bit ostentatious. The Jarl himself, Balgruuf the Greater, was arguing with his staff over the 'dragon menace'.

As we approached the dais, a Dark Elf or Dunmer as they would rather be called, drew her weapon and intercepted us, "Who are you? And what is your business here?"

"Erad and Kendra. Riverwood calls for the Jarl's aid." I stood as tall as I could, but Kendra doing the same made me seem tiny.

The Dunmer put her weapon away, gesturing to Balgruuf, "The Jarl will want to hear your story for himself."

"Irileth, what's the meaning of this intrusion?" His voice was strong and steady, just what a civic leader needed.

She pointed to us, opening her hand before dropping it at her side.

I took my cue and stood before the dais, "Jarl, Helgen was destroyed by a dragon. Riverwood is calling for your aid."

Balgruuf lazily glimpsed toward his assistant, "See, Proventus? I told you we weren't alone in facing these creatures."

"We can't afford to send troops anywhere. We'll need everything we can muster if that dragon comes here!" Porventus' panic attack was not helping, but thankfully everyone in the room was apparently used to this level of insanity from him.

The Jarl's expression went straight to anger, "I won't sit idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!" He turned to me, "Riverwood will have my help." "Irileth," Balgruuf's gaze turned to her. "Send a detachment to Riverwood at once. Make sure they have bows and arrows, along with their standard equipment."

Irileth nodded curtly, "Yes, my Jarl." She was fast, even for a Dunmer; out the door before anyone objected.

"So," Balgruuf started again. "You were at Helgen?" My responsive nod gave him reason to continue inquiring, "And you saw this dragon?"

"I had a great view after it interrupted my execution by the Empire."

His eyes widened for a moment before returning to their original feigning of lack of interest, "You're certainly forthright about your criminal past..." I never expected a Jarl to be shifty, but he offered, "In this Hold, you have a fresh start. You have my word."

All I could do was stammer, "T- th- thank you, J- Jarl."

Balgruuf glanced back to Proventus for a moment, "Let's sort this out so you can sleep easier."

Kendra and I made our way outside to the long staircase with its great view of town and the surrounding lands. She yawned, reminding me of how long we'd already been awake. The sun _was_ setting and my body felt like a sack of lead.

I looked to the guard beside me and inquired, "Where's an Inn?"

The man gestured towards Jorrvaskar, "Beyond the Companions' hall, in the river district. Bannered Mare."

I bobbed my head in response. As we plodded past the Gildergreen, I didn't see the priestess and briefly considered entering the temple. My growling stomach protested, so we made for the stairs down.

A little girl was selling flowers to a man, who made himself scarce as Kendra and I approached. The girl's face was marred with a splotch of dirt here and there, clothing befitting a life of hard labor probably only keeping frost at bay in broad daylight, her bare feet dirtied by the ground we all took for granted.

As she looked up at us with hopeful eyes and a proffered flower, I offered her an extended arm like a sister. Her hazel eyes widened, then her mind began working again, "W- what?"

"You were going to see if I wanted to buy a flower. I'm offering a hot meal, fresh clothes, roof over your head for a few nights, and a hot bath." Her mind stopped working, causing her eyes to widen further. "Not in any particular order, mind you," I added with an easy smile.

Kendra, with her native accent, added, "We're headed to the Inn for the night. Tomorrow, we're going to make more money than we can carry."

"I-I'm Lucia." The poor thing looked down at her hands.

"Well, I'm Erad. This here is Kendra." I gestured to myself and Kendra indicatively. With a grin, I told Lucia, "We're adventurers."

"Questing for a good meal and a hot bed, for the moment..." Kendra rubbed her belly, a weary look on her face. _Divines help me, I love that accent._

Lucia closed up her basket and made for the stairs, "Come on then! Sometimes Hulda lets me rest in her bed. She's good people."

Following our guide, the Bannered Mare was relatively quiet. Until I took out the last pouch of gems I had and set it on top of the bar, "Hulda, right? Lucia said you were good to her. I'm Erad. Looking for food, bath, and a warm place to sleep. For three."

Hulda glimpsed over to Lucia and Kendra taking seats at the fire. "Erad," She started, turning her gentle gaze back to me. "Let's see if you've got- en-" the woman trailed off after she peeked into the bag. The little, varying colors in her hazel-green eyes seemed to shift till she regained her composure, "So... you only want what you said?"

I tried to twinkle my eyes like a child, not being far off of the physical appearance, "Could that include room and board for the sad little wanderer?"

She lowered her voice and leaned over the bar, resting her elbows on it so she didn't have to talk loud, "She could stay for a while, even with a cut for you and your friend for a couple nights."

I nodded in agreement, "Right, the remainder after tonight as a credit for Lucia."

"Deal," she said, offering a handshake.

Accepting her handshake with a smile, I told the Nord woman, "Thanks Hulda."

Before I let go, I climbed to kneel on a stool and leaned closer to her, _"She's gonna need some clean clothes."_

"I may have something,"

Hulda smiled.

I hopped onto the floor and bounced over to my friends, stopping behind Lucia to hug her from behind. "Guess what?" I whispered to her, stepping back to give her room.

Lucia pivoted around on her short stool to face me wide-eyed and shrug.

"I'm gonna train you to use magic and you can stay at the Bannered Mare when you need to." The poor kid sat there gaping at me for the longest time.

Hulda's voice broke up the silence in the room, "Saadia? Be a dear and see to these three girls. Whatever they need."

After the Redguard woman helped us to a good meal, a bath, and fresh clothes, the three of us plodded into the back of the building. A downward sloping floor gave way to several rooms with lockable doors for patrons.

Saadia opened one of the doors to an empty room with two large beds and a bench and table built into the wall, "Sleep well, ladies. Breakfast starts at sunrise, but goes for quite a while. No need to hurry." She left us, offering to lock the door, which Kendra admitted was a good thing.

Lucia hopped in with me, noting, "Kendy's too big for either bed, but you're not."

I blew out the remaining candle for the night. "Goodnight, Kendy..." I said with a giggle.

Lucia snuggled up to me as my mind relaxed long enough to pass out. If I dreamed, I sure didn't remember it.

I woke up before either Kendra or Lucia, not that I could move without having to wake up that cuddle-bug. My magic brought me a cup of milk. _Kyne, you wonderful Aedra, thanks for the most delicious, natural beverage that doesn't get me drunk._

Kendra's voice pierced my slice of heaven, "Heh, I didn't figure you for a milk-drinker."

Not stopping till I was out of my choice beverage, I shot back, "I'll save my attacks for anything that tries to make us dead."

"Fair enough." Other than watching her glorious body slip into that armor, Kendra didn't make another noise. Though she did sneak a look back at me over her shoulder, only to flash me with those green eyes and her exposed bosom. I was entranced watching her hair fall over her back when she turned away.

The form still clutching me stirred and squeezed me all her might. Lucia's hazel eyes fluttered open, "Thanks, miss."

My lips widened, "Just Erad."

She pulled her arm back to rub her eyes, "Alright. You gonna get up now?"

I looked back over to Kendra, who was still fidgeting with her armor to tighten it to herself, "I'd like to, yeah. But I can stay for a little longer if you want."

The girl yawned, "I- yugh... should get up."

Kendra went and opened the door, but nearly as soon as she got out, she came back in with a bundle in her arms, "Somebody left something for you, Lucia."

My magic sight revealed three small, blue vials amidst the new clothes. I patted Lucia's arm to wake her from her post-wake-nap, "Gift for you, dear. Kendy's got it..."

She stirred anew and peered over at Kendra, the squeal she emitted might have been heard by guards outside in the market. Lucia jumped up and ran over. In her excitement, she nearly tackled Kendra; quickly backing off, she accepted the accoutrements with a giddy smile.

Once we made it outside, however, something was clearly amiss. The sun was clouded over, but not raining. A foreboding feeling blanketed the town and a guardsman ran up to us, "Anyone not willing to fight, better get indoors. There's a dragon flying around, raining fire-breath on anything alive."

The guard left and I turned to Kendra, "Keep Lucia safe." I traced a nigh-permanent inscription on her armor and shield, "Neither fire nor force will hurt whomever wears that armor and-or wields that shield."

I spied a general goods store off to the side. Kendra must have read my mind, as she produced another pouch of gems and shoved it into my hands, "Go get what you need, Erad. Divines be with you."

"You, too. Both of you," I said as I ran in for a few blue vials.

No sooner did I get outside the main gate, than did Irileth see me ready to fight, "You!? Civilians should be indoors!"

I peered at the dragon as it flew overhead, tracing the path of the stone road leading up to town, "None of you have ever witnessed a memory of fighting dragons, let alone even read an account of doing so."

"What do you have in mind?" she asked loudly, while the dragon roared and melted the shield of a guard.

Pushing magic into myself, I told her, "Just keep the town from burning down. This bastard is mine." I drew my shortsword and went to stand on the stone wall and waited for the dragon to come over again.

The Dunmer ordered a portion of her men out here to get back in and be ready with water to douse anything on fire.

A fireball slammed into me from above, not that it got through my barrier. It did startle me for a moment and the dragon came down to land on the opposite wall. His breath weapon was clearly useless on me, so he took a swing with a claw.

I didn't dodge, instead catching his claw with my right hand, "What do you want, _dragon!?" _"I'm fine with you not wanting to answer," I grinned and started twisting his arm. He tried next to reach over and bite me. Sure, I could have withstood the teeth and the force behind them. I could also have snapped his arm into a tattered mess with nary an effort. But I thought it might be fun to flip onto him and see how he handled having me behind his head.

He took off, flitting this way and that, trying to dislodge my grip on his scales. We got very high up, enough that I couldn't see the Bannered Mare separately from the rest of town. The dragon roared at me, "What magic is this?! I know of no mortal who can withstand a Dovah's rake!"

"Magicae Coporis, you resurrected corpse!"

Keeping his altitude, he roared again, "A dead art, you lying-"

I tore off one of the scales from his neck, quickly being rewarded with a roar of pain, "Ha! Nothing else would grant the strength to tear you apart. I'll take you one piece at a time, _dragon!"_

We lost a good deal of height, not to mention a few random shouts of fire, before he regained control. We swooped over a broken tower a ways off from Dragon's Reach Keep. The dragon's anger spiked, so he drew in his wings and spun rapidly, "Begone, mosquito!"

I landed on the ground feet-first, marking the ground with deep footprints. Meanwhile, the dragon circled around and blasted the base of the tower. The few men inside screamed while it fell; one jumped off at the last moment. As the dragon flew back up to make another run at me, I popped a potion and waited for his next attack. Stepping from my holes, I pushed much more magic into my flesh. Even without my magic sight, I saw the aura in his mouth shift from red-orange to yellow-green. _Plasma, he's done playing with me._ The moment his head shifted to inhale, I lept to meet him and raised my sword just before the moment of impact.

I came-to seeing red hair, hearing a sobbing voice beside my head, and feeling a warm, caring body clinging onto me. Lifting my arms, I hugged the woman who held me. She sniffled and cried some more in response. Not to mention, pulling me up with herself so she could sit on the hard ground.

A smaller body grabbed me from behind. She had been crying too, "Er- Erad. You saved the town! _You saved me._"

"Kendra," I murmured, getting a calmer sniffle in response. "Next time, you get to gut the bastard." Nobody told me Irileth, a group of her men, and a few townspeople were standing around us; not to mention Aela and Vilkas checking out the dragon's bones and scales that weren't burned away when it died. A few unintelligible words and hearty laughs from the crowd informed me plenty.

For the third time I could remember, I awoke with a heavy body, unable to move. I recognized the Gildergreen and the night sky immediately. Not to mention that red hair and the masculine-tough, soft hand in my hair, "Vilkas said your sword was warped by your attack. He was getting chided by Aela for not being able to just draw it from the corpse of that dragon."

I smirked at the thought, "It's probably fused to the creature's bones. I'll get it when I'm feeling better."

Kendra shifted her hand to massage my scalp, "He pulled the scale and bone your sword from the remains. Said he would have Kodlak Whitemane take a look at it."

"Well, that was nice of him."

My body warmed a bit watching her sigh and she continued her report, "The Jarl has stated that the families of the guards killed by the dragon will be aided by him personally. So, at least they won't have to suffer financially."

I closed my tired eyes and hummed, "You and Lucia?"

"She's just fine. But seeing you broken and bleeding again hasn't helped me any."

It was my turn to sigh, "Probably time I teach you some healing magic."

I could feel her nails on my scalp, "You're not making a battle-cleric out of me."

My idea countered her feelings, "I'm not turning you into anything. Merely offering to add to your skill set. It makes you a more desirable sellsword."

Her fingernails trailing outward from the center of my skull sent a wonderful shiver down my spine, "Why not the body enhancement? I'd like tearing into dragons better than fixing up your scrawny behind."

Breathing out, I watched her hair sway for a moment, "That... is a very easy spell to corrupt with the wrong thought."

"But-" she protested.

I interrupted her and continued, "You don't want to end up like this ancient tree with your soul sitting at the precipice of death, your body preserved for all eternity."

"N- no." She turned her head down to peer into my eyes.

I smiled to reassure her, "There are a bunch of boosts you can cast with Restoration, actually."

"So, she's back to her old self?" Danica's voice noted. I couldn't see where she was, as I was still staring up into Kendra's big, pretty eyes.

Kendra's smile grew as she considered me, head to toe, "She's gonna make it, after all."

I gathered green magic all over myself and healed the rest of my weary muscles, "I'll be alright after a good rest." Bringing my hands back down to my waist, my left was interrupted as it landed on another form holding onto me. "Hey you," I said, running my hand through Lucia's soft, mouse-brown hair.

The girl cooed and turned her head to smile at me. For the first time in a long time, I honestly felt so at peace with those that cared about me that I could call them family. A single word that I had so skillfully eluded for so very long, had finally caught up and touched my heart.

But, this was not the end of my family. Oh no. It was merely the beginning. The times ahead would prove just as trying, if not even more tiring, than anything I had previously encountered.

Hulda offered to see after Lucia that night, giving Kendra and I some alone time.

Kendra brought me over to lay beside the gently flowing water around the Gildergreen. She covered me with a blanket and gathered my feet for a massage. Had I not been so tired, I would have returned the act. One day, I would. For now, I focused on gathering what energy I could. I had a feeling I would need it.


End file.
